Slåttesong by Erlend Apneseth & Margit Myhr

With the release «Slåttesong», the two folk musicians, Margit Myhr and Erlend Apneseth, focus on the solistic tradition for vocals and Hardanger fiddle in Norwegian folk music.

- Folk music and the solo tradition are - and always been - a key element for both of us: something secure that we always come back to. At the same time, the are an inexhaustible source of inspiration, both by themselves and as a starting point for other forms of expression. On this album, we have collected some of our personal favorites. Some have been with us for a long time, while others are new, and together they represent an image of the path we have walked as solo performers. We feel very lucky to have been taught to sing and play by so many skilled artists through out our lives. We want to take this opportunity to thank all of those collectors who are generous enough to share what they find. - Myhr & Apneseth

Erlend Apneseth (Hardanger fiddle) and Margit Myhr (vocals) are both award-winning folk musicians, with a solid foundation in traditional mu-sic. The two of them are constantly searching for new expressions. Howev-er, with this release they return to the traditional solo format with a selec-tion of personal favorites.

Erlend Apneseth is known and praised for his ability to constantly cross borders and genres. A recurring artist on the experimental label Hubro, he recently released his 4th album with Erlend Apneseth Trio and featured on Frode Haltli Avant Folk II (both 2021).

Myhr works as a theater actor, dancer and singer, and has done several critically acclaimed solo performances both as an actor and dancer. She is also a member of the vocal group «Kvedarkvintetten», and as a soloist she won the national competion for traditional music (Landskappleiken) in 2017. Her music is based on traditional material from the region Halling-dal.

The vocal repertoire on this album is taken from the book «Folkesong i Hallingdal»/(«Folk song in Hallingdal») (Gunnlaug Lien Myhr, 2015). This book contains all of the vocal material collected from the region Hallingdal, taken from notations and various archives that have never before been recorded and published. Apneseth has a background in the folk music tra-dition from Sunnfjord and Sogn, but in recent times he has immersed him-self in the tradition of fiddle playing of Hallingdal, where he lives. There-fore, the Hardanger fiddle repertoire on this record consists of tunes from both Hallingdal and the westcoast of Norway, in addition to self-composed tunes.

Erlend Apneseth is one of Norway’s most renowned Hardanger fiddle players. Traditionally rooted, in recent years Apneseth has made the contemporary / improvised music scene his home and his debut recording Blikkspor (Grappa Musikkforlag, 2013), produced by Arve Henriksen, received critical praise from folk, jazz and contemporary music magazines alike.